Hinging bag content dispenser



Sept. 8, 1959 STAHMER 2,903,161

HINGING BAG CONTENT DISPENSER Filed Nov. 50, 1956 INVENTOR.

Ear/ward? ffabmer United States Patent HINGING BAG CONTENT DISPENSER Bernhardt Stahmer, Omaha, Nebr.

Application November 30, 1956, Serial No. 625,497

8 Claims. (Cl. 222-8-1) This invention relates to dispensing mechanisms and it is an object of this invention to provide a device for supporting and dispensing the contents of flexible bags for containing catsup, mustard, sauces and the like.

A particular object is to provide a device adapted to squeeze the contents out of a flexible bag.

Still another object is to provide a flexible bag particularly adapted for use with a dispenser of this invention.

A further object is to provide a flexible bag holder and dispenser which further have means to facilitate the tearing away of a portion of a bag for opening the bag.

Yet another object is to provide a dispenser as described having two relatively wide and flat portions adapted to be moved toward each other to squeeze the contents out of the bag.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, drawings and claims, the scope of the invention not being limited to the drawings themselves as the drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating a way in which the principles of this invention can be applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

Inthe drawings:

l Figure l is a perspective view of one form of the hinging bag content dispenser of my invention, showing a bag of my invention therein with an upper portlon therein removed whereby the bag is open;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a second modified form of the hinging bag content dispenser of my invention;

Figure 3 is a third modification of my invention, as shown in perspective;

V Figure 4 is an enlarged detail of a serrated bag tearing means as seen along the lines 44 of Figure l or along the lines 44 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the bag carrymg device of Figure 4.

The bag supporter and the bag content dispenser of my invention is shown in one modified form in Figure 1 and is generally indicated at 10, having two elongated side portions 12 and 14.

The side portions 12 and 14 are preferably flat on their inner sides and are disposed along side each other one on each side of a bag 20 constructed in accordance with my invention.

It is preferable that the bag 20 be elongated in a vertical direction and that the side portions 12 and 14 be of similar area, being also elongated in a vertical direction. Suitable means are connected to the upper end of one of the side portions for engaging and upholding the bag 20 and this means preferably comprises two inwardly extending hooks 24 which latter are preferably integral with the upper edge of the side portion 12 and extend first horizontally inwardly therefrom and then upwardly 2,903,161 Patented Sept. 8, 1959 at the innermost ends for receiving thereon the walls of apertures 30 in the bag 20.

The bag 20 is preferably made up of two half-sections 34 and 36disposed opposite each other, the two portions 34 and 36 being separate from each other in a large central portion for receiving liquids, however the side and bottom edges of the portions 34 and 36 being sealed together as shown at 40.

The upper edge of the portions 34 and 36 are also sealed together although at each side of the upper portion of the portions 34 and 36 the latter are sealed together over wide areas 40' in which the apertures 30 are disposed, the areas 40' being separated by an unsealed passage or open ing area indicated at 44.

The portions 34 and 36 are sealed together at their uppermost ends as seen at 46 whereby the upper end of the passageway or opening 44 is maintained closed until such time as the upper portion 46 is torn away.

For the purpose of tearing away the upper portion 46 a tearing member 50 is provided which has a sharp serrated upper edge 52 which is disposed horizontally. The member 50 has a lower portion 56 which is vertically disposed and which is preferably movably attached to the upright portion 12 by suitable means such as rivets 58 disposed through suitable openings in the tearing member 50 and extending through elongated vertically disposed parallel slots 62 in the member 12 as best seen in dotted lines of Figures 4 and 5 and in full lines in Figure 3.

The uppermost portion 66 of the member 50 inclines inwardly from the lower portion thereof because the upper portion of the bag 20 is itself normally spaced inwardly from the elongated side portion 12.

In operation it will be seen that the tearing member 50 can remain in a storage position as shown in full lines in Figures 4 and 5 when not in use. It can be raised to the dotted line position shown in Figures 4 and 5 when the tearing away of the upper part of a bag is desired.

The side portion 12 can have its lower end section 70 outturned horizontally and suitably attached to a base 74. The base 74 can have suitable resilient spring members attached thereto which latter are adapted to be bent into position such that lower portions 82 thereof are dis.- posed at a right angle to upper portions 84, although the natural position of the springs 80 is such that the upper portions 84 are disposed at an angle of possibly 15 with respect to the vertical at times when the lower portions 82 are horizontally disposed, said base having lowermost portions lying in a single normally horizontal plane for supporting said dispenser upright on a flat table.

The member 14 is attached to the inner sides of the upper portions 84 and extend upwardly, having an upper end disposed beneath hooks 24.

Referring to Figure 2 a modification is there shown in which one side portion is maintained at an angle of approximately 30 with respect to the other side portion 132 when spring members are disposed in their normal position.

Spring members 110 are approximately inverted U- shaped although when they are in their normalposition the spring members 110 have sides inclinedly disposed with respect to each other.

The lower ends of the side portions of the spring members 110 are suitably attached to the outer sides of the side portions 100 and 102.

The side portion 100 has inwardly extending books which can be punched out of the same material as the member 106 leaving an opening 122 beneath each hook 120.

Each hook 120 has a horizontal portion attached to the portion 100 and extending inwardly therefrom, and each hook 120 also has an upwardly extending innermost portion.

3 The hooks 120 receive the bag 20 substantially as shown in Figure 1. g

The lower end of the bag 20 when it is disposed in the holder of Figure 2 is-maintained against the side por-.

tion 100 by means of a holding bar 130 which latter has an outturned hooked end :132 best seen in dotted lines at Figure 2.

The upturned hook end 132 of the bar 130 is adapted to be hooked around the lower end of the side portions 100 of the holder and the opposite end is adapted to be received in an upwardly extending receiving nib 14% which latter extends inwardly and upwardly from the portion 100 for receiving the bag holder 130 therein.

As best seen in dotted lines in Figure 2 the bag holder 130 is preferably made of resilient material and is of an arcuate shape when in normal position whereby it tends to seek an inwardly curved position such as shown at dotted lines in Figure 2 when its end is not held by the nib 140.

In the modification of Figure 2 the opposite side portion 102 is provided with a recess 150 on its inner side to receive the nib 140 and holder 130 whereby the members 100 and 102 can engage the bag at times when the members 100 and 102 are disposed in parallelism whereby the last remainder of the contents of the bag can be squeezed out. For this reason it is preferable that the members 110 be not too strong in their resiliency so that the members 100 and 102 can approach parallelism and can be disposed very close to one another at the end of the squeezing of the contents of a bag.

An opening 152 is provided in the side portion 120 to receive the nib 140. Similar openings 154 are provided in the side portion 102 to receive the hooks 120.

It is desirable that the side portion 102 be provided with an upright recess 160 on the inner side thereof at the center thereof from side to side for permitting contents of the bag to ooze upwardly through the recess 160 to pass out through the passageway 44 in a bag.

It is preferable that the recess 160 be of greater depth at its upper end than at its lower end whereby its depth gradually increases from its lower end to its upper end and whereby at its lower end the recess 160 is so shallow as to disappear in the flat lower portion of the side portion 102.

It will be seen that the recess 160 should extend substantially the entire height of the respective side portion for best results or one-fourth of its height for substantial results.

In Figure 2 the tearing member 50 can be used and can be attached to the side portion 100 similarly to the way it is attached to the side portion 12 as above described. I Referring to Figure 3 a third modification of the invention is shown in which a side portion 180 is disposed in parallelism opposite another side portion 182, the two side portions being adapted to substantially engage each other on opposite sides of the bag for pressing the contents out through the passageway 44.

The side portion 180 is provided with slots 62, rivets 58' and a holder 50' which latter are all similar to the counter parts 58, 62 and 50 in the modification of Figure 1.

The side portion 180 is also provided with inwardly extending hook portions which are given the numbers 24' and which are identical to the hooks 24 of Figure 1.

The side portion 180 has a lower end which is disposed at right angles thereto and extending outwardly therefrom as best seen at 190. The lower end of 190 is suitably attached to a base 200 which latter receives slidably thereon a lower portion 210 of the side portion 182. The lower portion 210 extends at a right angle horizontally outwardly and away from the lower end of the side portion 182, although the lower end 210 has ends 212 which are turned outwardly around and under the base 200 whereby the lower portion 210 functions as a track wardly although they are normally in parallel position. {I

As thus described it will be seen that this invention has provided several bag supporting and bag content dispensing devices and a new and advantageous bag all in accord with the objects of the invention herein and above set forth.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a hinging bag content dispenser constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use, by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some. change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim:

1. A bag supporter and bag content dispenser comprising two elongated side portions arranged alongside each other in normally upright relationship, means movably attaching together said side portions whereby said side portions can be moved toward each other for exerting pressure on the contents of said bag, means connected to the upper end of one of said side portions for engaging and upholding a bag disposed between said side portions, and tearing means having a serrated upper edge disposed above said side portions and attached to one of said side portions.

2. A bag supporter and bag content dispenser comprising two elongated side portions arranged alongside each other in normally upright relationship, means movably attaching together said side portions whereby said side portions can be moved toward each other for exerting pressure on the contents of said bag, means connected to the upper end of one of said side portions for engaging and upholding a bag disposed between said side portions, and tearing means having a serrated upper edge disposed above said side portions and movably attached to one of said side portions for vertical adjustability from a lower storage position to an upper tearing position.

3. A bag supporter and bag content dispenser comprising two elongated side portions arranged alongside each other in normally upright relationship, means movably attaching together said side portions whereby said side portions can be moved toward each other for exerting pressure on the contents of said bag, comprising hinge means disposed at the upper ends of said side portions, a holder attached on the inner side of one of said bag supporting side portions and at the lower end thereof and extending approximately horizontally across said one bag supporting portion for holding a lower end of a bag against the said one side portion, and means connected to the upper end of one of said side portions for engaging and upholding a bag disposed between said side portions.

4. The combination of claim 3 in which said holder protrudes outwardly from the adjacent surface of said one bag supporting side portion and in which the opposite side portion has a recess in its lower end and on its inner side to receive said means for holding said lower end of said bag.

5. The combination of claim 3 in which said holder is releasably attached to said one bag supporting side portion.

6. A bag supporter and bag content dispenser comprising two elongated side portions arranged alongside each otherin normally upright relationship, means movably attaching together said side portions whereby said side portions can be moved toward each other for exerting pressure on the contents of said bag comprising hinge means disposed at the upper ends of said side portions, one of said side portions having an upwardly extending recess on an inner surface thereof to permit passage upwardly of contents of a bag squeezed therebetween, said hinge means pivoting along a substantially horizontal line whereby said recess is transverse to said horizontal line, said recess extending at least one-fourth of the length of the respective side portion for substantial elfectiveness.

7. A bag supporter and bag content dispenser comprising two elongated side portions arranged alongside each other in normally upright relationship, a base disposed beneath said portions, means attaching together said base and side portions whereby said side portions can be moved toward each other for exerting pressure on the contents of said bag including hinge means disposed at the lower end of one of said side portions, said base having lowermost portions lying in a single plane for supporting said dispenser upright on a flat table.

8. A bag supporter and bag content dispenser comprising two elongated side portions arranged alongside each other in normally upright relationship, means movably attaching together said side portions whereby said side portions can be moved toward each other for exerting pressure on the contents of said bag, means connected to the upper end of one of said side portions for engaging and upholding a bag disposed between said side portions, means forming a base and attached to the lower end of at least one of said side portions, and said base having lowermost portions lying in a single plane for supporting said dispenser upright on a flat table.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,515,440 Cicero July 18, 1950 2,759,636 Albert et al Aug. 21, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 522,779 Canada Mar. 20, 1956 

